CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A cross-county rivalry will
renew for the first time in five years when the Charlotte 49ers women's
basketball team plays host to Davidson at 7 p.m. Friday inside Halton Arena. It
will mark the final game before a holiday break for both schools.

In addition to the contest, the Charlotte athletic department and women's
basketball program will recognize and honor the 2003 NCAA Tournament squad at
halftime. The 2003 Niners won the Conference USA regular-season title and
became the first team in school history to advance to the NCAAs. Charlotte
posted a 21-9 overall record, including a perfect 12-0 home mark, and 12-2
C-USA ledger during the 2002-03 campaign. Ten of the 13 players are due to
return for the festivities.

The current group of 49ers is coming off a 57-47 victory at North Carolina
A&T Tuesday night to improve to 7-2. It marks the third time in the last
five seasons, and first under head coach Cara Consuegra, Charlotte has posted a
7-2 mark after nine games.

Sophomore Hillary Sigmon finished as the team's leading scorer for the second-straight
game with 17 points, featuring a career-high five 3-pointers, giving her 36 points
in the last two contests. Senior Amanda Dowe added her fifth double-double of
the year and 13th of her career with 11 points and a game-best 13
rebounds.

Using a different starting lineup for the first time all season, the Niners
turned to Ayanna Holmes at the point guard slot. The sophomore responded with a
career-high five assists, as Charlotte was credited with a helper on two-thirds
of its field goals overall.

Davidson brings a 4-5 record into the contest after picking up a 59-56 victory
at Gardner-Webb last Thursday. The Wildcats, who also have a triumph in their
lone Southern Conference game of the campaign, participated in the Preseason
WNIT, earning a 1-2 ledger with the lone win coming against Kennesaw State.

Sophia Aleksandravicius, the reigning SoCon Player of the Year, was also the
league's preseason choice for the award for the second-straight season. She
tops Davidson with a double-double average of 15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds,
having four double-doubles in her last five outings.

Laura Murray, another Preseason All-SoCon choice, is next with 9.3 points per
game, while Dakota Dukes follows with 3.8 rebounds per game.

Head coach Michele Savage is in her third season at the helm, guiding the
Wildcats to a share of the regular-season title last year and a nod as the
preseason favorites this season.

The 49ers lead the all-time series 11-8, garnering a win in each of the last
two meetings. The two teams have not played since a 72-64 Charlotte victory
Dec. 9, 2009, in Davidson, N.C. The Niners tallied a 69-53 triumph in the last
Halton Arena meeting, Nov. 24, 2007.

The action can be viewed live on Charlotte49ers.TV with Josh Feldman handling
the play-by-play duties. Charlotte49ers.com will also feature a link to live
stats and in-game updates can also be found on Twitter by following
@49erGameDay.